Chapter 2:

The night leading to the day before I was to go to Hogwarts, I slept through the night for the first time in a week.

And as I left my empty room I ran into the twins on the stairs, with a mischievous grin on both of their tired faces.

"What did you come up with?"

"Do you think you could find a potion that would make someone throw up?"

"Definitely, but who? Percy?"

The twins looked between each other, and then shook their heads.

"I hear you up there, come down for breakfast!" Mum shouted from the kitchen.

"We'll let you know later, it's brilliant, really." With a grin the three of us tumbled down the stairs but stopped on the bottom stair when we found the other members of our household staring at us from the table.

"You or me?" All three of us whispered from the stairs.

"Will you three come here, please?" Dad's voice was soft and calm, but the situation was anything but.

"Are we in trouble, because if so, Percy did it."

Mum's signature scowl made it to her face, but quickly disappeared and was replaced by a scarily kind smile.

"No you are not in trouble. But if you could come sit down please."

The three of us exchanged a glance but found our way to our seats in silence. And it was when I sat down that I saw the look on Ginny's face.

"Are you okay, Ginny? Have you been crying?"

I will always say the twins were the brothers I was closest to, but I had always felt close to my sister who I had shared a room with for nearly all of her eight years of life.

And seemingly that was mutual because at my words Ginny burst into tears, threw her arms around my shoulders and sobbed into my neck.

"You c-can't g-g-g-go to school!"

"Ginny she has to go, of course."

I scowled over at Percy's words, silently telling him to shut up.

"I know it's going to be sad without all of us here Ginny, but think, you still have Mum and Dad, and Ron."

That apparently didn't help, as she started sobbing even harder.

"Gee- love you too, Gin." Ron was great at sarcasm, and the toast he had shoved in his mouth somehow made it funnier.

"Come on, Ginny, off your sister, there we go. Now, we do have a little bit of a surprise for you, and you brothers."

The first thing that flew to my mind was the broomstick that sat broken in the backyard, had they fixed it for us? Mum said, of course that she was too busy to do it yesterday so we had to stop our game to try and find other ways to amuse ourselves.

"We were very proud of you in Diagon Alley, and I don't think that there are words to express how amazed we were of your selflessness, your determination, and your kindness. And we think that should be rewarded, so you understand that those are values you should carry with you your entire life."

"Dad you don't have to explain the psychology, they get it."

"Sod off Percy."

"Anyway," Dad interrupted, "with the confidence that you will take good care of and love this gift, we have decided you have earned it."

With those words Mum placed a pet carrier on the table.

"Is that-"

"a"

"cat?"

"A kitten. Which we trust the three of you will share and care for equally." Mum opened the carrier and I could just make out the outline of a small cat. A small cat I could see was a mix of black and orange. A parallel that made me smile as I took the moment in.

Fred and George went right up to the carrier. Looking cautiously inside as the kitten awoke and blinked at the world of eyes around them.

"Looks like she's awake, why don't you take her to the living room to be acquainted?" Dad's voice was gentle again, as though he were speaking around a baby.

George held out his hand to the kitten, who bound straight up to it and bashed her head into his palm, and George smiled down at her and gently picked her up, "You've got quite a spirit there." Fred and I followed him to the living room where he set the kitten on the floor and we sat down around her. I watched as she took a look around the new surroundings. But she quickly started bounding around the room and up and down our laps.

"What should we name her, you think?"

"How about Basil?" Fred's suggestion made both George and I laugh.

"Was Horton the first female play you came up with? We may as well name her Gwenog."

"And she's not even green!" The three of us laugh as the kitten jumps up on my lap. And we sat there for a few minutes just thinking and watching her run around when an idea sprung to my head.

"How about Achen?"

"Achen? Who's that?"

"Achen Okello? From the Patonga Proudsticks?"

"The team that beat the Magpies in '86?"

"Drew with the Magpies in '86, but yes. Don't you remember the Prophet the next day, her face when she scored the first goal. It was her first international game and she scored the first goal, she might be the greatest chaser in the world."

George looked down at the cat, "How do you like that name, little bee?"

Fred and I exchanged a look and smirked, but the kitten responded by nuzzling into George's knee where she sat.

"Well, I think that settles that, huh, Achen?"

The next day was unlike any other.

I hadn't slept.

I went downstairs at dawn to Mum, who was already snivelling and flitting around nervously while Dad read the prophet in his chair, seemingly trying to ignore her while still looking up with a worrying glance every couple of seconds.

When he saw me he smiled a little, "Already awake, Maggie Leigh, nervous for the trip?"

"I couldn't sleep last night."

Mum stopped at my words.

I sighed as I fell into the chair next to the fireplace "Don't worry I stayed up rereading Advanced Potion Making."

"Well make sure Charlie gets his book back."

And then she pushed Dad towards the staircase to get my trunk 'without waking Ginny' and set her gaze back on me. "Are you excited for school."

I gave her a small smile that was still a little sceptical, "I don't think excited is the right word for it."

"Nervous?"

"A little."

"You know your father and I will love you no matter what happens today, right?"

"I know, Mum. You've told me once or twice. And I was thinking last night. I don't think I'm going to be in Gryffindor."

"You don't?" My mother's face was a little amused, and I assume it was because my face was so certain.

"I just don't think I'm very brave."

I watched Mum recoil at my words and she squatted down to meet my eyes, "Maggie Leigh Weasley, I never want to hear those words come out of your mouth again. You are one of the most brave people I have ever met. And I have met many brave people. No matter what happens, whatever house they put you in, you will always be the bravest person I know. The bravest in this family, by far. And you know that you will always be a part of our family."

I look up from where my eyes have fallen to my lap. "I know, Mum, I know. You've mentioned."

Mum pulled me into a hug and I gave her one back. I knew it would hurt her, for me to leave today. And deep down, as much as I wanted to deny it, it would hurt me too.

But then Ron came down the stairs.

"You're up early, Ronny."

"I wanted to play a game with Maggie Leigh before she leaves."

"Sure thing Ron, get the set."

As Ron set up the wizard chess set I wondered how he would get any better over the school year with no one to play with him. Though maybe he would try and teach Ginny again, even though the last time hadn't gone very well. I was the only decent opponent in the house.

I knelt down on the floor next to the coffee table and set off to decide if I should leave Ron with something to prove or with a good memory of finally beating his older sister in a game of wits.

But of course I couldn't stroke his ego too much, especially as the rest of my brothers came down and sat watching our game.

"Let's wrap up, you two. Breakfast is ready!"

"King to a5. Checkmate."

And as Ron's king pulled up his sword and then knelt down to mine I sighed and smiled.

"Good game, Ron. but you still need to work on your pawn setup, you're still focusing too much on your rooks."

Ron scowled at the board and tilted his head.

But after a moment we stood up and joined the rest of the family at the table.

Platform 9 ¾ was amazing. Especially when you're the one getting ready to get on the train.

Achen's carrier was on my trolley, so I tried hard not to make her uncomfortable as we ran through the barrier and weaved through the thick crowd.

Charlie ran almost immediately after a quick kiss goodbye to each of our parents to what I could only assume were his prefect duties or his friends. Percy on the other hand only offered a stiff goodbye before going to find his friends.

"I think this is where we say goodbye kids."

I turned to my parents, for the first time realising that I would really have to say goodbye to them. But I would not cry. I would definitely not cry.

They both hugged and kissed Fred and George first, and they turned to me.

Dad offered me a quick hug and whispered in my ear, "Love you, sweetheart. Be your amazing self, alright?"

"Will do." I whispered back.

And then Mum came forward. As she wrapped her arms around me I could feel her tears against my neck.

"You're always my baby, alright. I love you."

I don't know what I was expecting her to say, but it wasn't quite that.

"I love you too, Mummy."

"Alright, I think it's time we let these three get on the train."

And with a quick goodbye to Ron and a longer goodbye to a sobbing Ginny Fred, George and I set off to the train.

We pulled our trunks and George carried mine as I took Achen and we found a compartment on the train.

After the train finally took off we settled into our seats and I took Achen out of her carrier.

She of course first bounded up and licked my face. So I gave her a few pets before she settled into George's lap and fell immediately asleep.

We talked about nothing for a few minutes before a boy came along.

"Sorry, there room for me to join?"

The boy looked to be our age so we welcomed him.

"I'm Fred, this is George and Maggie Leigh." George introduced, pointing first to himself, then me and then Fred.

"Sorry about my brother, I am obviously Maggie Leigh, this is George and this is Fred, Weasley, that is."

The boy looked mildly confused but mostly amused, "Well I'm Lee, Jordan. You're siblings?"

"Yep, some might call us triplets."

"Wow, what happened there?" He asks, pointing to my head of hair.

I smirk as I look at the strange boy, "garbage bin."

The boy looks like he doesn't know whether to laugh or cringe when there is another knock on the door.

This time it is two girls who come in and sit beside the four of us. They introduce themselves as Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet.

"Oh, I know who you are," Angelina says, pointing at Fred and George, "your hair, looks just like your dad's. My dad works in the portkey office. I've met him a few times. And you guys are?"

As she looked over at me and Lee, "Well I'm Maggie Leigh, I'm actually Fred and George's more attractive triplet," I smirk at their scowling faces, "I go incognito with my hair."

"And I'm Lee Jordan."

"I didn't know Arthur Weasley had a daughter. I think he's only ever told me stories about his sons."

I laugh at her brashness. I love that she doesn't even care that she kind of insulted me, "That would actually be our older brothers. We're three of eight. Charlie and Percy are still in school, Charlie is a Prefect and Percy has a stick up his arse. Bill is working in Egypt right now. He is very proud of them. And he has two daughters, Ginny is younger than us, so is our brother, Ron."

"Eight kids?" That was all Lee seemed to get out.

"Yeah, a little intense, right?"

"And to think, they adopted me after having these two firecrackers."

Ignoring the looks of the others, Fred gave a mischievous smile, "Speaking of, I think we have things we have to plot, now that we can officially take out these?"

I smirked right back, "I believe you are right."

"Plot? You mean like, a prank or something?" Alicia looked both amused and terrified at our faces.

"You would be right, Alicia dear," George says, "we, as measly first years, must establish our dominance as soon as possible in our new environment."

And after establishing our plan, and setting my cauldron up for the first time which was pretty thrilling, the six of us talked about anything and everything. Quidditch, candy, classes, homelife, school.

It was kind of nice, having friends.

The train ride was fun. But as fun as it was getting off the train at the platform was even more fun.

Leaving behind my trunk and Achen I followed my brothers to a very large man who was yelling for first years to follow him.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Charlie looking at me and he smiled with reassurance and nodded to the man I was supposed to follow. I smiled back and he turned back to his group of friends.

It helped calm the nerves I had apparently ignored that were flitting around my stomach.

"Where do you think they're taking us?"Angelina whispered in my ear.

"I don't know, my brothers never told me about this part."

"What have they told you?" Her interest peaked at this point.

"Well, Charlie told me that to get sorted we have to wrestle a troll, though I think he was lying." I chuckled at the time when I thought that was true, "but mostly he just said that first-years get sorted in front of the rest of the school and then we have dinner."

"Good cause I'm starving." We both laugh a little as the group is still waiting around for something. "So I suppose you're going to Gryffindor, like your brothers said, your family's been in it for centuries. I think I'd like to go there too."

"You'd make a good Gryffindor. But I'm not so sure I'll go there. I mean, I'm a Weasley but not a Weasley, if you know what I mean."

"I don't know. You're quite like them, you know. You act like them, you're quick like them. All you need is orange hair and you're golden, so I wouldn't worry about it." I smiled at the sentiment.

Before I could answer the group started moving, and Alicia, who had apparently been listening in, entered into our conversation, "Do you ever think about them, your birth parents, I mean?"

I sighed at the question, "I hadn't, really, especially growing up. I mean, I knew I had been adopted and that I had another set of parents somewhere, but I never really bothered to think about them. Recently, though, I feel like my mum has been pushing them on me. She keeps reminding me that I'm her daughter, and their family. And one night I heard her talking to my dad about being worried I would look for them."

"Would you, look for them?"

"I don't know how I would even start if I wanted to. I was dumped in a garbage bin and left for someone to find me when I was a year old. No one reported a missing child and they couldn't find my mark for reference, so they think I may be from another country entirely."

At that point we arrived at a series of boats.

"Come on, Maggie Leigh, let's go in a boat without the boys."

I looked over at Fred and George and nodded with a smile, I would do this part alone. I didn't need them.

The conversation across the lake was vapid and unimportant, until the castle came into view, then the three of us, plus another girl who had joined our boat, stopped talking and just stared at the beautiful castle lights, illuminated like a bright string of diamonds against a sky full of stars.

When we got out of the boats I found my brothers again, as it turns out I can only stray so far.

This is so much cooler than Charlie told us it would be. And it seemed the twins thought that too as they simply stared at the castle stretching before us.

And then we entered the grand entrance and there was someone waiting for us, a witch dressed in beautiful magenta robes.

"Good evening, thank you Hagrid. First-years, I am Professor McGonagall very soon will be the start of term banquet, but before you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are at Hogwarts your house will be like your family, you will eat with them, sleep with them, and spend time with them in your house common rooms. The ceremony will begin as soon as we are ready for you."

The witch finished her speech and exited back into the hallway. The first years stood silent, and I was happy that when I reached out, Fred and George were also reaching out to grab my hands.

But then, suddenly, the room was filled with white silvery ghosts.

There was a gaggle of laughter and ooh and aahs as I watched the other students converse with the ghosts flying by them, or stare at the ones having their own conversations.

I listened as one man dressed as a knight sighed at the woman he was with, "We've given him so many opportunities my dear. I don't know why Albus doesn't do something with him."

"Peeves gives him entertainment, the old man gets amused by anything."

I smiled as I watched. If this man could make Albus Dumbledore laugh, who I have been told has a rather stern disposition, then he was someone I wanted to be friends with.

But I didn't have time to see if Fred and George had also heard the conversation when the witch came back in. "We are ready for you now."

She led us up the stairs in silence, well, relative silence because of the chatter of the portraits lining the hall. When we got to the grand doors I was near the front of the group, and could see as the doors were open and the hall was revealed. I was definitely not prepared for this. The beautiful candles, the excited faces of students, the brilliant ceiling. I hadn't even registered the fact that I was walking down the aisle because I couldn't stop craning my neck to see every last detail of the room stretched out before me, until I bumped into George's back when he stopped.

"Pay attention Maggie Leigh, you might fall off a staircase or something."

I chuckled at George's chide and looked up to see the witch take a long scroll and another man came from the table behind him and put an old raggy hat on a stool sitting in front of the center of the table, right in front of Dumbledore.

But then, the hat started moving, all on its own. And a face appeared.

And then he started singing.

I was so amazed by this, thing, in front of me that I was barely listening to him. And I once again looked around and saw that the majority of the people in the room had their eyes transfixed on the hat.

Except Dumbledore, who I suppose when he saw my head move looked over to me, and with eyes twinkling, smiled as though I was an old friend.

But then my concentration was broken when the witch spoke up again, "When I call your name, you will come and sit on the stool, I will put the hat on your head, and you will be sorted."

And then she started calling out names. One after the other students were called up.

"Lee Jordan!" I smiled as my friend looked horrified but went up and sat on the stool. The hat didn't seem to take a lot of time with him before calling out.

"Gryffindor!" I smiled as his face lit up and he ran to join the others at the table.

Then Angelina went there.

Then Alicia.

And I start to panic. All my friends, they were all there. I knew I could make friends outside my own house, but would they still talk to me?

There were only a few of us left when the witch called out Fred's name.

I watched the professors lined up at the table smile and look at each other just like I knew they would.

And also as I suspected, the hat took no time to put Fred in Gryffindor, and then subsequently George.

The blood rushing in my ears nearly deafened me to my name being called by the woman but I stepped up, nearly against my will and I jumped up on the stool.

And then I was blinded as the hat slid past my eyes.

"Oh, another Weasley." I hadn't expected him to talk to me and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to answer, but in my head I sighed and was very relieved that he said it. "Perfect fit, I think."

What he meant, I have no idea, but then I realised that all of the things he said must have gone right into my head, because I heard right in my ear what he yelled out to the rest of the room.

"Gryffindor!"

I thought at first I imagined it. I suppose I have spent so much time thinking I wouldn't hear it that I felt my face warm up and orientated myself towards the table draped in red.

I was a Gryffindor. And as I took a seat next to my brother I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Mum told me I was brave, and I didn't believe her. But here was the proof.

As the feast started I realised I could stand up and do what I had planned, so I looked over and winked at my brothers as I stood up.

First I went to Charlie. The set up, he stood up to give me a hug and whispered reassuring words in my ear. It was nice.

And then I went to Percy.

I knew he wouldn't stand up to greet me, but the girl sitting next to him scooted over so I could get next to him.

"Come on Perce, give your favorite sister a hug."

"Wrong you are not my favorite sister."

I laugh at the undignified looks around me. But I reached into my pocket and set the trick up in my hand.

"I'll write Mum and tell her you are being mean to me."

"Fine"

As I wrap my hands around him I reach up and slip the tablet in his drink. A boy with a curious gaze eyes me suspiciously and I pull up my hand to hold a finger to my lips, telling him to be quiet, and he smiles back with an amused face.

"Thank you."

"Now go back to the first years, you're being weird."

As I walked back to the front of the table I smiled and gave my brothers a thumbs up. No one was paying attention but I went back to eating very simply.

And then there was an uproar.

Fred, George, Alicia, Angelina, Lee and I whip our heads over to where Percy now stood, holding up his hands and nearly screaming at his now aging appearance.

I had gotten it right, as it turns out aging potions were really as easy as they seemed.

The hall roared with laughter and geers as Fred George and I high-fived and smirked, and Alicia, Angelina and Lee patted me on the back and cheered, "Go Maggie Leigh!"

The boy who I had quieted was laughing hard, his head thrown back and leaning on the girl next to him, and after a few moments recognition came to Percy's now aged face and it snapped over to where I sat.

"Fred! George! Maggie Leigh!"

At the call of our names the hall went quiet.

"Yes, brother dearest?"

"I know this was you!"

"What was us? By the way, has anyone ever told you you get your looks from Grandma Prewett?"

At my words there was another wave of laughter.

"Mr. Weasley!" Professor McGonagall called, "To the hospital wing!"

As Percy left the Great Hall I smiled, and then noticed that one professor came from around the table and walked in my direction. He, to put it lightly, was terrifying looking, black robes and black hair and a scowl.

And he stopped right in front of me.

"I need to know what was in what you gave him. Where did you get it"

Merlin, even his voice was scary.

"I-uh, well-"

"Spit it out, Ms. Weasley."

"I just used the aging potion recipe from Advanced Potion-Making and put it on a tablet."

Professor McGonagall, who had come up behind the professor, stopped at my words, "One of your brothers gave it to you?"

"No Ma'am, I made it on the train. I copied the recipe from Charlie's book when he let me read it. Are we in trouble?"

The two professors exchanged a look between them and the scary one set off.

"I would like the three of you to report to me after your first Transfiguration class tomorrow."

I looked at her face, though her words were stearn, her voice was slightly amused, "Yes ma'am."

"You can call me Professor, my dear."

And then she left, and though the chatter had come back to the room I saw a few people looking over at us once and awhile with a look of amazement. Including the boy who had sat across from Percy.

But then there was something else. I looked over at the head table, where once again Dumbledore was looking at me. But this time, with a fascinated curiosity that was reflected by the twinkle in his eye.

We were led up to the dormitories by Charlie that night, him telling the group of us all about the castle and how to get to certain classes and places in the castle.

"But don't worry, you'll quickly find your way around, and find all the hidden secrets about the castle, for example-"

I watched as he jumped over a step on the staircase we were going up and jumped too, but the girl beside me, Cassandra something, wasn't as lucky. As she stepped on the stair, her foot fell deep and she was buried up to the knee in darkness.

"Trick-steps, there are a few of them on the staircases here. Your friends could help you get out, or you could wait around. All luck really."

Charlie wrapped his arms around Cassandra and pulled her up. I watched as she blushed and giggled. Bill always joked about the power a Weasley boy has on girls but I've never seen it in person. It was kind of funny.

I found that talking to portraits was very interesting, to the point where Fred and George had to keep pulling me away from ones I found particularly interesting.

But getting to the common room was magical. The Fat Lady, the tapestries, the knight ghost I had seen earlier, who I now knew was Nearly-Headless Nick, even the chatter of the older students was music to my ears.

"Come on, Maggie, let's go unpack." Alicia pulled me up the staircase before I could even try to say goodnight to my brothers.

The room was beautiful, nothing like my room I share with Ginny back home. Wooden canopy beds with beautiful maroon silks and embroidered maroon bedspreads. Achen and my trunk had been placed on a bed pushed against a window overlooking the grounds. I could make out the quidditch pitch to my left and a tiny hut to my right. I let Achen out of her cage and she found her spot right between the pillow and the wall.

"Sorry sweetie, I think the boys want you tonight." I put all my things in the drawers and sat back on my bed. Alicia, Angelina and Cassandra were flitting around the room doing one thing or another, looking in the bathroom and showing each other the clothes they brought with them.

"Maggie are you okay?" Alicia questioned, looking at me curiously from across the room.

I sighed and pulled Achen into my arms, who nuzzled into my stomach, "Yeah, I'm going downstairs to think."

"Good luck it's a madhouse down there."

As I set back down the staircase and ran nearly immediately into Fred and George, and we set off to the common room without a word. We settled in a spot on the couch near the fire, and let Achen crawl around the three of us.

"I'm glad I'm here with you."

"I'm glad I didn't have to pull off the prank."

"I'm not sure Percy would have ever let us hug him."

"Especially for that long."

"I'm serious. I wasn't sure how that was going to go, but I'm glad the hat put me here."

"We're glad too Maggie Leigh, but you're the only one who had doubts you would be here."

Before I could answer there were suddenly a bunch of people around us.

"So you're the miracle first-years who pulled that prank on the prat?"

The three of us laughed and launched into the details of what we had done that day to the group who had gathered around us, full of everyone from second years to even Charlie, who was probably taking notes to send to Mum.

"You did a sixth year potion on the train without ever having brewed one? And then you looked Snape right in the face and told him that? You've got Weasley guts that's for sure."

"She's got more Weasley guts than any of us." Charlie interjects, just as Percy walks through the portrait door. Every eye turned and every mouth quieted.

When he saw the crowd surrounding us, all he did was huff and turn towards the stairs and walk away.

"Yeah, Perce doesn't like us much."

I like making a whole room of people laugh. Especially when they aren't family, and don't have to.